Fall Semester 2010 Wrap-Up

Friday, October 29, 2010:

Just a few projects remaining and this semester is done! I can hardly believe it. I have at least one more agency visit coming up (Slingshot) for Media Directed Studies, plus research for a white paper on Social Media ROI (Return on Investment) in collaboration with Dr. Steve Edwards and Babar Bhatti, founder of Mutual Mind (a social media analysis platform). I also have a Communication Audit paper to complete with a partner for our Responsibility and Social Entrepreneurship class. We've selected Compassion International as our focus, which I'm familiar with and passionate about since I sponsor a child in India through the organization. And finally, a paid Facebook advertising campaign to run on the Gina Cooper Worship Project and one last presentation re: our social media work for that project to end Creating and Managing Interactive Content class. Everything will be completed by the first week of December, so only 5 five weeks and counting to complete all the projects and papers. Thankfully, no final exams this time around.

Tomorrow we'll be carving pumpkins with the kids. Sunday we'll be trick-or-treating as a family of pirates for Halloween. Just going around our neighborhood this year, no party to attend. Should be fun, I know the kids are amped up for it. Definitely will post some pics of us in our costumes!

Till then,

Alexandra Watson

Follow me on Twitter @abcwatson, or find me on Facebook at www.facebook.com/alexandra.watson or on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/4alexandrawatson

One-to-one networking musings from SMU ExxonMobil Lecture on Advertising & Social Responsibility

Thursday October 28, 2010

I've just returned home from SMU, where I attended a series of events this evening on Advertising & Social Responsibility. Kudos to Dr. Patty Alvey, her assistant Lisa Langford, and the others in the Temerlin Advertising Institute and Meadows School of the Arts at SMU for such a classy and seamless event! And I'm not just saying that because I go to school there (okay, and work in the office). I had the pleasure & privilege of attending a private dinner in the Meadows museum, followed by a cocktail reception in the Owen Fine Arts Center, then a Lecture panel on the evening's topic, and finally a dessert reception in the OFAC lobby. The panel discussion featured Peggy Conlon of The Ad Council, Jim Datri of the AAF, and Nancy Hill of the AAAA. It's was wonderful to listen to these representatives of key advertising organizations speak about the importance of socially responsible advertising and cause marketing. My favorite quote of the evening was from Jim Datri, who said "it's okay to make money and do good". Yep, our economy depends on advertising to bridge the gap between supply and demand. Profit with a purpose is, in my opinion, a great thing. After all, who doesn't want to make a difference in this world and live for a purpose larger than themselves? If we can combine that with work, with commerce, that I think is a winning combination for all.

From another angle, I had a couple great conversations with industry people at the event. That was exciting, and also a relief. I'm definitely NOT an extrovert at heart, so mingling and "networking" at these sorts of events is not in my comfort zone. But, I went into it with a few things in mind tonight: 1) I'm required to attend, so best to make the most of it, 2) I'm not the host or the guest of honor, so I'm not expected to "work the room", and 3) I'm studying non-traditional media anyway, so in that context a few one-to-one great conversations are more valuable than a mass of shorter, lower-quality ones. Interactive advertising is all about ENGAGEMENT and ONE-TO-ONE messaging, right? So, it's much more appropriate (not to mention socially and politically correct) for me to connect in authentic conversation with one or two people than to stand on the cocktail table and shout out my resume to the room! So with those things in mind, I relaxed and had an enjoyable and productive time. Wonderful talks with Jim from Slingshot and Jon & Cale from Canonball.

Can't believe I'll be graduating in just over 6 months! Looking forward to joining the advertising workforce here in Dallas (and doing socially responsible work of course).

Filling in the gaps: my New Media education & training

September 28, 2010

I can't believe it's been a month since my return to graduate school at SMU and since my last blog entry! The time seems to be flying by so quickly. How can Friday be the first day of October already?! Well, I've already completed the first six weeks of the fall semester. I have three classes this time around: Responsibility and Social Entrepreneurship; Creating & Managing Interactive Content; and a Media Directed Studies course (originally titled "Commercialization of Virtual Space"- but who knew what that meant?).

Brand Board for Gina Cooper Worship

The first course is basically a theory class on CSR. It's discussion-based, and focuses on case analysis studies from Harvard Business Review. It's the last of our "core" classes and the only one I have this semester with the entire cohort. The second class is a very hands-on practice, as its title would suggest, at "creating and managing interactive content". We're working in teams of two to create a social media strategy and launch a SM campaign for a local DFW area small business or non-profit. My partner, Rennie Gibb, and I are working on the launch of the Gina Cooper Worship Project. Gina is a female worship leader from Wylie, TX and she's starting an inter-church worship team that is available for booking at events, conferences, special services, etc. It's exciting to be a part of launching a new Contemporary Christian recording artist and her ministry. You can find out more on Gina at www.ginacooperworship.com or check out the Facebook Fan page that Rennie and I have launched for her recently at www.facebook.com/ginacooperworship. The final class is only myself, the professor, and one other student of New Media. We're doing a variety of things with our time, including sitting in on key sessions of an undergraduate course in Interactive Advertising; learning a bit of Adobe Flash programming; visiting local interactive advertising agencies; trying out a beta version of MutualMind's social media monitoring platform, etc.

I have only one semester of graduate school remaining. In the Spring we'll all be completing a Practicum (internship) of 20 hours per week with a local advertising agency, and taking a capstone Campaigns course in which we create a campaign for an actual client. I'll graduate in May 2011. So to date, I've learned to do thorough secondary research and situation analysis, walked through the basics of traditional media buys, put together a campaign plan book, wrote literature reviews, papers, and presentations on a variety of topics, dabbled in metrics and web analytics, and created and managed a social media campaign. All of which leads me to wonder.......WHAT ELSE should I know before looking for a job in advertising/new media? What am I missing? Should I learn HTML and try my hand at building a website? Do I need more hands-on experience in analytics and ROI?

I've updated my resume (I even created a PowerPoint version and put it out on Slideshare at Visual Resume Link). I've ordered business cards. I'm attending luncheons, trade association meetings, etc. to network. But am I employable? We'll see....... In the meantime, if you have any suggestions that would make me more valuable in the advertising/ new media field please let me know!

You can also connect with me on LinkedIn, Facebook, or Twitter! See my Profile for details.

Coming Home (from India)

Several things struck me as we re-entered the United States (in New York) after five weeks spent in India:

• Getting through U.S. customs was much faster and easier than I expected it to be. 
• The roadways and streets of the U.S. (even New York) are sooo much cleaner and more spacious than those in India! Where are all the people?!
• I got no break from heat and humidity.....its everywhere in August.
• I smell like a traveler and desperately need to shower and launder everything I own.
• I've missed my family and home tremendously.....not even Skype can compare to seeing them face to face again!
• No matter how hard I think my life may be, I am so blessed. I have so much for which to be thankful, and even "a little" by U.S. standards is "plenty" when compared to the rest of the world.
• There are less than three weeks before our fall semester begins (mine at SMU as well as my daughters' elementary school in Allen). Not much time to spend together before we jump into a new school year.

I took roughly 3000 photos during my time in India, and after careful editing, saved approx. 1200 images. I have several hundred uploaded in a couple albums on Facebook which can be viewed at http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=67693&id=1493536168&l=6effaaef67.

I also uploaded about 100 of my favorite scenic images of the trip to Photobucket, viewable at http://s1045.photobucket.com/albums/b457/4alexandrawatson/India%202010%20Favorite%20Scenic%20Photos/. 

This blog will now turn to entries regarding my 2nd and final year of graduate school, my impending job search, and various other topics of interest to me such as new media, photography, parenting, etc. Please check back often to hear more of my Moments, Musings, and Memories! Thanks so much for reading!

With Love,

Alexandra Watson

Connect with me on LinkedIn, Twiiter, or Facebook!

India Shortlist

My time in India is wrapping up! I’m not looking forward to our travel schedule, but will be glad to be home soon. We’ll have a drive of about an hour and 15 minutes from the resort to the Goa airport, followed by an hour long flight to Mumbai. Then, we have a layover of about 9 hours in the Mumbai airport before we fly to New York on Air India. The flight is roughly 16 hours. We land at JFK in New York but have to transfer to La Guardia airport and wait another couple hours until the final flight on American Airlines to Dallas (a 4 hour flight). Whew! Travel schedule courtesy of SMU’s travel agency (which also took until the end of April to book for the group). What a pain!


Before I spend the next couple of days in airports, I wanted to reflect on some things that I will miss from India as well as some things I am looking forward to at home. Here is my “short-list”:

Things I Will Miss from India (no particular order):

• Buffalo-milk ice cream (delish!)

• Chai (tea), esp. Wahg Bakri brand and the masala chai at MICA

• Endless naan bread (esp. butter and garlic naan)

• Longer nails!

• Amazing photo opportunities

• Spices

• Natural fragrances/oils like neem, Indian berberry, jaggery, jasmine, sandalwood, etc.

• Great deals on beautiful scarves and jewelry

• Tiger Bus

• Folded towel characters waiting in our Goa hotel room :0

Things I Look Forward to At Home (no particular order):

• My family

• Laundry done in a washing machine and dryer

• Iced drinks

• Salad (that’s safe to eat!)

• Starbucks mochas

• Free Wi-Fi internet

• Getting into a dry bed and dry clothes!

• My favorite foods (esp. having meat, like at Chipotle)

• Cooking for myself

• Giving away the gifts I purchased


This trip has been an amazing experience which I'll always remember. I'm looking forward to seeing my husband and kids (and friends) again in Texas on Wednesday, but I'll take a little part of India home with me. Thanks be to God for His wonderful provision, to SMU for the opportunity, to my family for their ongoing love and support, and to India for the hospitality.

Goa Vacation

We’ve finally reached the point in our trip where we’re able to fully have time off from classwork and agency visits! We’re all so excited to be arriving in Goa. This is definitely a tropical climate; everything is lush and green, and the monsoon rains are falling intermittently throughout the day and night. The temperature is cooler than in-land in India, about the low to mid 80s (Fahrenheit) but at nearly 90% humidity.

The Fort Aguada Beach Resort is at the end of a road, right on the edge of the Arabian Sea. It’s a beautiful property with comfortable rooms and pretty views. We’re in a multi-story hotel building, but each room has a small patio area and overlooks a fishing pier and small road by the sea. The neighboring Taj Holiday Village hotel is arranged as little villas, and it has a common deck area that sits over the rocky beach. We can get shuttle rides between the two properties and eat at restaurants, use the pools, shop, etc. in both locations. There are lots of families with children here as well, so it’s got an Indian Club-Med sort of vibe. The Holiday Village property is a bit nicer (but more expensive) but I’d recommend either Taj property if you’re ever in Western India and looking for a vacation spot! Taj Fort Aguada Beach Resort Website 

We arrived around 4pm on Friday, July 30th. I wandered around the property taking photos (of course), got room service, and then relaxed for the rest of the evening. My roommate, Allison Uhler, and I watched Three Idiots (this time with full English subtitles) and I enjoyed it even more than the first viewing at MICA. Definitely not a typical Bollywood plot (it confronts the immense familial pressure to study engineering in Indian universities) but an excellent and entertaining movie.

On Saturday, I was able to sleep in (a rare treat) and then enjoyed a spa package. I had a coconut body scrub, a massage, and manicure. Apart from the masseuse literally climbing onto me at the start of the massage (with her knees on the back of my legs, using her arms and elbows on my back- very weird) it was a very relaxing and pampering experience. They used great-smelling oil blends, and even put oil in my hair. Strange at first, but my hair and skin feel great now! Also, they put some blended oil on the wound on my foot and it looks better in one day than it has all week using Neosporin!

Sunday we had our final touring day. We briefly visited Fort Aguada (after which our resort was named), plus two Catholic churches in Goa built during the time of its Portuguese settlement; Bom Jesus Basilica (aka St. Frances Xavier Church) and St. Francis of Assisi (Jesuit Catholic) Church.

Then we visited Sahakari Spice Farm for lunch and a 30 minute walking tour of the plantation. It looked like a scene straight out of “The Jungle Book”, and I wouldn’t have recognized the plants amidst all the other greenery had they not been pointed out to us. Afterward, they had a strange closing ritual of pouring a ladle full of water mixed with citronella down each person’s back. Supposedly, it’s to cool you off from the walk (plus probably amuse the locals). We all left with wet clothes, but the tour was worth it. Also, we got to buy essential oils and spices from their market stand at incredibly cheap prices. We ended the day (of course) by shopping. This group is really good at spending money, especially on jewelry, elephant carvings of Ganesh, and scarves!

Monday is another free day, spent primarily on my patio while using the computer and listening to music. Tonight, we have our final group dinner at the hotel. Tomorrow, lots of travel to come! Goodbye Goa, it’s been fun!

Mumbai Experience

Monday July 26th to Friday July 30th, 2010:

It was a very long day of travel for us to get to Mumbai from Ahmedabad, India. We left the MICA campus in Ahmedabad around 4:45am (while the Indian students' rave party was still going strong from the night before!) and drove to the airport. We had lots of security stops and minor delays but finally made it onto our flight to Mumbai. After arrival, we checked into the Taj President Hotel, had a quick lunch, and then immediately boarded a bus for a driving tour of Mumbai. By that point, it was late afternoon and we all had a hard time staying awake for the tour! The poor tour guide was only speaking to half the group at any given point. However, he seemed to be fixated on telling us about the Mumbai bombings that took place two years ago, so most of his lecture was regarding the terrorists, the number of bodies found in particular places, etc. Plus, he went into graphic detail on the way Farsi people handle their dead (they leave them to be eaten by vultures). So, overall, definitely not my favorite tour guide experience of the trip.

Arriving in Mumbai was interesting. It definitely has the largest population (nearly 20 million) and therefore the highest percentage of slums that we have seen in India so far. According to our tour guide, there are roughly 4 million living in slums in Mumbai, another 4 million that are wealthy and living in high-end houses and apartments, and the remaining 16 million are in "middle-class" housing that ranges from old studio apartment buildings (with the bathrooms shared at the ground floor) to low-end homes. The poverty was overwhelming. I can't imagine how the problem can be fixed, when it would displace so many people to even repair or replace the dwellings and land is at such a premium. People continue to move to Mumbai daily, however, because it is the commercial capital of India and there are many jobs to be found here.

We did see some interesting places in Mumbai, however. There is an interesting history that we learned about a man named Chhattrapathi Shivaji, who drove Muslims out of the state of Maharashtra in the 1700's. He was later crowned Emperor by the Hindi people and is considered to be a local hero. The train station (formerly the "Victoria Terminus") and the Museum (formerly the "Prince of Wales Museum") have been recently re-named after him. There is a statue of him near the Gateway of India monument in Mumbai as well. Other interesting sites we toured were the Hanging Garden and Nariman Point.

The next day (Tuesday July 27th) we had two agency visits that took the majority of the day. The first asked to remain unnamed on any internet postings, so although we had a very interesting discussion about Indian culture and advertising and I took several photos, I won’t be able to post them. The second visit we had was with the Mudra agency again, this time the Mumbai office. It was a wonderful visit. We had a presentation by Mr. Arijit Ray (President of Mudra India-West) that would have been a perfect capstone lecture for our Engagement class last semester. He basically talked about the need to create an emotional “brand world” to cut through ad clutter and product similarity. He also highlighted the importance of moving from logic to “magic” in ads, and shifting from a share-of-market (transaction) focus to a share-of-customer (relationship) focus. His keys to a good ad: evocative, emotion-stirring, memorable, distinctive, focused on a key idea. Favorite quote from the presentation: “It’s no longer who we are up against (our category), but who we want to be amongst (idea leaders)”.


Wednesday July 28th was a free day. My roommate and I had stayed up till nearly 2am drinking wine and talking, so we slept until after 11am. We got lunch at the hotel and then spent the day shopping and touring. We had a really fun time shopping for scarves at the Oberoi hotel shops (complete with Kashmiri tea and a potential suitor for Allison!) and then spent several hours at the Prince of Wales museum. It was a fun day, with some very successful purchases made.

Our final full day in Mumbai (Thursday July 29th) included a visit to Reliance Media Works. We got to screen some not-yet-released Bollywood movie previews and received an interesting lecture on the digital intermediary process that occurs on films (including color timing, retouching, scoring, etc.). It was very cool to get a behind-the-scenes look at the Indian movie industry. They had the original chairs from Three Idiots in the lobby, so we were allowed to take photos in them after our meeting. Next stop, Goa Beach!

India Cultural Highlight: Gujarati Thali Meal

OUCH, that hurts!

Sunday, July 25th 2010:

Okay, just a warning that the photo in this blog will not be pretty. After a group meeting late Friday night for our Research Methodology project, I was locked out of my room and went in search of water at the campus canteen. Didn't get too far though, because just in front of the hostel building after mine (Ashoka) I slipped and fell on the brick walkway. This is what happens during the monsoon season in India. It was just a matter of time, I guess, given that it had rained for days and all the walking surfaces are hard and slippery. There are marble floors and marble staircases indoors, and brick and stone outdoors. So, I fell with one leg under me and one forward (no, I've never been a cheerleader) and got pretty scraped and bruised.

However, I did manage to protect my laptop computer which I'd been carrying in my bag.
So I returned to my room completely covered in slimy mud. COVERED. I rinsed my clothes and threw them into our "wash-bucket", took a shower, did the laundry by hand with my nifty Tide soap bar, and then tended to my wounds. The next day I went to class as usual (yes, there is class on the weekend) but my foot really was bothering me. It was swollen across the top (not my ankle) and it wouldn't stop bleeding. Plus here at MICA it's really hard to keep yourself dry and clean (did I mention the monsoon rain?!). Not good for an open wound. I kept putting Neosporin on it, took some Ibuprofen, and dealt with it as best I could.

Now to today. I LOST IT. I think I finally reached the point in this trip where I just became overwhelmed. I woke up late and had to talk to my family on Skype in like 5 minutes AS I was getting dressed and ready for class. I took more ibuprofen, but it just didn't make a dent in the pain. Our group project is due by tonight, and we'd barely made a dent in the workload (didn't even get to complete a draft due to a four-hour dinner event the night before). I hadn't gotten enough sleep. Also, as soon as I got up from bed and started walking around again, my foot started bleeding and swelling again. Plus, I think it's about the time of month for me to have PMS. So, I was not a happy camper by the time I reached class at 7:55am. Once the lecture started, and my foot was now swollen and thoroughly wet from walking through the rain again, I just couldn't hold back the tears. I left the class for a little while to try and compose myself, but it just wasn't going to happen.

This was the embarassing part. They stopped class to get me some ice and a first-aid kit. I wanted to be there, and everyone was very helpful (though I didn't want the attention), but even then I couldn't stop the flow of tears. So much for being the mature one. Anyway, when it was pretty clear that I wasn't going to pull myself together the professor (very kindly) gave me permission to leave. I came back to the hostel and took a nap for the remaining hour of class, and got my foot dry and elevated again. After that news, Dr. Alvey called from Mumbai and directed me to go to a hospital in Ahmedabad right away to have my foot tended to. So, I had to leave my group in the lurch without the draft done (still) and spend a few hours round-trip to Ahmedabad. I don't give myself much slack, but everyone has those days sometime, right?! At least the clinic was very nice and they treated me very quickly. Some sick MICA students needed care too, so they came along as well. They cleaned the wound, dressed it (which is already falling off),and gave me prescriptions for antibiotic and pain medicine.

Now I have to get my luggage plus 12 other grad students (and their luggage too) safely through the Ahmedabad airport and to Mumbai tomorrow at 4:45am. Thankfully, the paper is now DONE and my packing almost is too! I'm just waiting on the rest of my group to okay it  (the paper) before it gets emailed to the teacher. I'm looking forward to getting on the plane tomorrow and getting to Mumbai. We'll have three corporate visits there, plus some sight-seeing, and then we head to Goa for a couple days off before returning home. Sadly, I think I'm going to have to change my pedicure appointment at the Goa spa to a manicure instead. But oh well. Only 10 days to go! I'm excited to get home.

MICA Classwork: Crunch Time!

Saturday, July 24th 2010:

Only eleven more days in India, and only one more day here on the MICA campus in Ahmedabad. We'll have a final class tomorrow on quantitative research methods- conjoint analysis (Sunday) from 7:55am to about noon. We have until tomorrow night to turn in our only assignment; a group project from the qualitative portion of the class. We were divided into groups of 4 or 5 and had to conduct a series of in-depth interviews of Indian students re: America and also American students re: India. Each group is expected to complete at least 5 interviews from each country. We worked in groups to come up with a Discussion Guide, then had to combine the best portions of each into a master guide to use in the intereviews. Now, we have this afternoon and then tomorrow (if needed) to analyze the responses, come up with consumer insights, and write a report on the research. It's crunch time! Hopefully we'll come up with some good research findings and strong consumer insight about what college students think of India and America.

Classes during our time at MICA have been intensive, since we've had to cram an entire course into 40 hours of class over only two weeks. However, I have learned a lot. The most interesting part of our interviews was the final question, where we asked each student to describe a typical person of the other culture (India/America).

So, here are some of their words on how India is personified. First of all, the older generation is like Gandhi:

"(I’d personify India as) a wise, old sage. Someone who’s been around forever. A complex old man, but gentle. He’d be thin, dark, in pajama-like clothes. He’d barely be getting by (very low income). It would be hot and he’d have no A/C. Maybe not even have a house. If he had a job, it would be a religious one (like a leader or elder). He might play a game of cricket every now and then, but no other entertainment. I also think of Mother India, but mostly an old religious man like Gandhi comes to mind."

as for the younger generation of India (think "Slumdog Millionaire");

"I think Americans are a lot fatter than Indians. They are much skinner." "Yes, I would say this person is attractive or average.  A different type of clothing but an average style." " She would be 30, well, there are a lot of young people there and old people. But the average person I think of would be around that age." "I feel like they would work in some sort of business environment. They are producing or selling something. A modest job. Maybe somewhere around or below American minimum wage." "They would probably live in a modest apartment." "Probably driving just a 5 or 6 year old sedan. Small compact car. They seem to all drive small cars - they are most affordable." "They like to watch TV just like us, read the paper, yell at the neighborhood kids. I think they are a lot more involved with their close neighbors than we are." "I feel like it's someone who works that hard for their money wouldn't just blow it on materialistic things."

Here were some of the personfications that Indian college students had of a typical American:

"Huge, tall, bulky, not as big as the Australians, blonde, brownish, white, freckles. Dressed in a bikini, working a lot and stressed out. Friendly and loud. Probably lives in a large house with 3-4 bedrooms and a bathroom for each person. This person has a car, as does each person in their family."

and one more (think "Sex and the City"):

"Young adult, between 18-24. A woman, beautiful, attractive, confident, independent. Hair color blonde/golden. Style of dressing anything she is comfortable with, but a good sense of style. A New Yorker. She would have a job, since I’m in a creative field, I’d say she’d be in advertising or the TV industry. Income level mid to upper class. She’d drive a hybrid Honda. She’d have a boyfriend and a housemaid. In her free time she’d read or travel. She would be happy and culturally aware. She would be kind. She’d know more than one language (English, French). She’d be Catholic."

The stereotypes are very telling, aren't they? Somewhat true, although obviously cliched. I think that perhaps we all should move beyond Hollywood and Bollywood and gain personal experience with the other country through travel and beginning new relationships! We'd all be better off for it.

To see more photos of my time in India, go to http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=67693&id=1493536168&l=6effaaef67 or connect with me on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/alexandra.watson. You can also find me on Twitter as "abcwatson".

With Gratitude to Ambassador Singh

Saturday July 17th 2010:

We had the distinct honor of meeting for a short time with former Indian Ambassador Swashpawan Singh. He is now retired after 35+ years in Indian Foreign Service. Ambassador Singh came to meet our group in a small conference area of our hotel, the Trident Gurgaon outside of Delhi. He spoke to us briefy about the current position of India in the world, and about the general importance of cultural awareness and education. A few of the key points that I took away from our time with Ambassador Singh were: the high degree of similarity between Indian and American value systems, the need for Indian infrastructure to catch up to its growth in other areas, and the importance of travel. 

On the strong affinity of value systems between India and America, Ambassador Singh noted these shared characteristics:

• Democracy
• Free Market economy
• Multi-party political system
• Independent judiciary
• Free press
• Right to information
• Pluralism
• Independence
• Religious tolerance and diversity

On the need of India's infrastructure to catch up to its external development, Ambassador Singh identified the need for growth in areas such as: energy security, water management, primary education, public health, pollution/waste management, job creation, and the modernization of the national army.

 

But what stuck with me the most from our time with Ambassador Singh were two distinct statements he made in regard to the importance of travel. The first was "There is no substitute for travel as a means of cultural education". He stressed that three primary things one must bring to another culture are 1) bottled water and caution about travel sickness; 2) AN OPEN MIND; and 3) a desire to keep coming back and to experience new things. The other statement that resonated with me was "the greatest gift of our generation is mobility". It really is true that we have an opportunity in our short spans of life to expand our thinking and understanding beyond our own little corner of the world, and that in fact, it is an obligation to the rest of humanity that we broaden our focus and consideration to that which is beyond ourself. Travel is the greatest means to do so. Whatever home-sickness, illness, fatigue, or other factors we have struggled with during our time in India are small things compared to what we may learn from this amazing opportunity!

 

Ambassador Singh himself summed up the visit in this way (in an email to Dr. Patty Alvey) "It is a liitle difficult to convey what makes India incredible in forty-five quick minutes. But if our conversation gave them a flavour of what lies at the heart of this rapidly modernizing ancient land, with all its contradictions and enigmas, and if it added to the cumulative assault on all their senses, then some of it will remain with them. I am convinced that in a small ineffable way their lives will have changed because of this visit to India."  

 

Thank you Ambassador Singh for your time and wisdom, and also many thanks to SMU for this travel experience. As you read this blog, may you in some small way broaden your horizons today, try something new, and welcome change!

To see more photos of my time in India, go to http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=67693&id=1493536168&l=6effaaef67 or connect with me on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/alexandra.watson. You can also find me on Twitter as "abcwatson".

Golden Triangle: Delhi Corporate Visits DDB Mudra and IMRB

Friday July 16th, 2010:

DDB Mudra Offices

Our ad industry visits continued today in Delhi, India. On the agenda today: DDB Mudra and IMRB research firm. We first visited DDB Mudra, where account planner (and former MICA student) Vibha Gupta shared a presentation with us on "India and Indians". It was an educational exploration of Indian culture. The first bit of information about India that I took away was that "For every thing that is true about India, the opposite is also true".

Here are just some of the facts about the vast spectrum of India:

• One of the most ancient civilizations 
• Yet, 54% of current population is under age of 25
• 2% of the world's land mass
• Yet, 17% of the world's population
• 27.5% live below poverty
• Yet, One of the world's fastest growing economies
• Over 1 lakh (million) of high net-worth individuals (over $1 million personal net-worth each)
• Yet, 40% of Indians live on les than $2 U.S. per day
• 35% illiteracy rate
• Yet, Large % of people are multi-lingual, and use English in trade
• Less than 1% penetration of personal computers in households 
• Yet,  The IT capital of the world
• 6 major religions, 4 of which originated in India
•  Yet, a peaceful, harmonious society

We watched the following Times of India 2 minute commercial from 2007, entitled "India Poised: Our Time is Now" starring actor Amitabh Bachchan which I think brilliantly sums up the dichotomy of India:

My favorite line from the commercial is "History is a bad motorist. It rarely ever signals its intentions when it's taking a turn. This is that rare moment: history is turning a page." That is especially poignant, given the driving conditions in India! I hadn't thought of the state of traffic in India as symbolic of the change its society is undergoing until I heard that line. It puts an entirely different perspective on driving through the streets of Ahmedabad, Agra, or Delhi to think of it in that light. This is a nation in flux; struggling with change and progress while still trying to retain its heritage and independence. What a wonderful time to be visiting India!

Dr. Patty Alvey, Vibha Gupta, Harleen Bhatia

Ms. Gupta (of DDB Mudra) went on to explain the primary characteristics of Indian culture through the following: caste, colors, chaos, community, cricket, and cinema. We examined each of these cultural elements as they reflect Indian values, attitudes, and beliefs and then looked at examples from the world of marketing and advertising. She highlighted business examples such as the Amul milk cooperative (a 9000+ village effort), commercials such as American Tourister's "Survive Mumbai, Survive the World" luggage ad, HDFC financial services recent father/daughter savings ad, and the phenomena of Indian Premier League cricket. The entire lecture was so informative! It really helped me to understand the unique position India currently inhabits in the world, as well as the cultural characteristics that are vital to the Indian market. Many thanks to DDB Mudra for the excellent opportunity we had to learn from them.

Following our visit to DDB Mudra, we went to IMRB. IMRB is India's leading (and largest) market research institute. They provide data and solutions to government and business entities. We met with A.V. Surya and Parul Sharma of their Social & Rural Research Institute.  Mr. Surya described social marketing as the process of  "unselling" an idea. IMRB's mission was stated as "marketing of concepts that are beneficial to society with the objective of achieving social change". The examples highlighted were HIV/AIDS awareness campaigns, seat belt usage, and polio vaccinations. They talked to us at length about the unique problems and opportunities of social advertising in India. Some of the barriers to social communication in India are: illiteracy levels, gender bias, poor media reach (TV in only 55% of households as of 2007), and cultural and religious variations. With such a diverse and emerging market in India, their lecture made me appreciate how difficult the task is to educate and raise awareness of key social issues to the average Indian (particularly those that are "media dark": without access to technology).  

We wrapped up this intensive day with a trip to a local shopping emporium that specialized in hand-crafted items. They had an amazing selection of goods, everything from hand-carved wood, to textiles, marble, and jewelry. I found some unique gifts for family and friends (the end of my gift shopping list)!


To see more photos of my time in India, go to http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=67693&id=1493536168&l=6effaaef67 or connect with me on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/alexandra.watson. You can also find me on Twitter as "abcwatson".

Golden Triangle: Delhi Corporate Visits W+K and O+M

Thursday July 15th, 2010:

W+K Unassuming Office Space in Delhi

W+K Motto: Work is Worship

W+K Royal Enfield Campaign

Today we had the distinct honor of visiting two leading advertising agencies with international offices in Delhi, India. We began the morning with an appointment at Weiden + Kennedy, where Managing Director Mohit Jayal presented to our group. We received a tour of their offices and a very heartfelt and engaging presentation regarding the philosophy of W+K Delhi as well as highlights of some of their key account work. The accounts highlighted included creative and strategic work for IndiGo! airline, Royal Enfield motorcycles, and the Incredible India! tourism campaign. I was VERY impressed with W+K's approach to their work. Mr. Jayal was a very passionate and honest speaker, and issues of integrity and corporate social responsibility really seemed integral to the work process of W+K Delhi. Their account work showed a great deal of inventiveness and consumer insight. He stressed that their mission was to add MEANING to marketing, and to create VALUE driven work that is both creative and insightful. It was also clear that W+K is interested in the many layers of India; digging deep into various Indian sub-cultures and identifying various facets of today's India as well as spotting emerging trends in the market. It is particularly this kind of value-based, creative boutique in which I'd like to work (in the U.S.) after graduation. The visit to W+K left me energized and hopeful about the future of international marketing.

We next visited the international office of Ogilvy & Mather in Delhi. Ogilvy has a beautifully modern office space on the sixth floor of a highrise building in an office park. The two ad agencies have very different and distinct corporate cultures and creative styles. Lakshmi Duttagupta, VP, National Head of Training and Sr. Talent Coordinator at Ogilvy addressed our group. Our time at Ogilvy focused on the brand communication process. Ms. Duttagupta outlined Ogilvy's Effie award-winning work for several clients. We examined several product campaigns such as Sprite, Limca, and Vodafone ZooZoo! ads as case studies of effective brand communication in increasing sales and fulfilling a brand's market strategy.

It was a pleasure to visit both agencies. I particularly liked that we happened to visit a smaller boutique and a larger corporate office on the same day. It showed the breadth of the advertising industry and gave me, as a student, a clearer sense of my potential place in the market. It was so gracious of both agencies to take time out to meet with us and educate us about the Indian advertising market. This whole trip has been such a blessing and wonderful opportunity! I appreciate every moment of this incredible journey:) 

To see more photos of my time in India, go to http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=67693&id=1493536168&l=6effaaef67 or connect with me on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/alexandra.watson.
You can also find me on Twitter as "abcwatson".

Golden Triangle: Agra's Taj Mahal & Red Fort

Monday July 12, 2010:

We rode in our tour bus from Jaipur to Agra today, for the next stop on our tour of India's Golden Triangle of cities (Jaipur, Agra, Delhi). We arrived late in the afternoon and went directly to our hotel, the Trident (Hilton) Agra. Dr. Alvey decided that we would delay our visit to the Taj Mahal until the following morning, so that we could see it at sunrise. Our hotel, unfortunately, was a disappointment after such a nice stay at the Taj property in Jaipur. The Agra Trident looked nice on their website and in photos, but the rooms were not up to par with the common areas. There was a lot of construction going on, and the smelll of paint and wood varnish was so overwhelming (in the rooms and the hallways) that it was hard for me to breathe since I was also battling a respiratory infection.

However, Agra itself was not impressive, so I'm not sure that a better hotel would have been available to us. I was surprised actually at the city of Agra. I had expected that a location of a modern Wonder of the World would be in better repair. Not that it ought to be an urban city necessarily, but that whether rural or modern it would be maintained in a good condition by the Indian government and people. Instead, there was a shocking amount of trash and standing water on the roadways, a lack of infrastructure like lighting and paving, an overwhelming amount of the poor and beggars in all public spaces, etc. It seemed to me that a lot of restoration and change is needed in Agra, to return it to more of its former renown. Luckily, we were only staying one night in Agra before continuing on to Delhi. A day trip (or short overnight) is all that is needed in Agra. That gave just enough time to see the Taj Mahal and Agra Fort.

In high contrast to its Agra surroundings, seeing the Taj Mahal at sunrise was extraordinary. The Taj Mahal is a mausoleum that was commissioned in 1632 by the Moghul emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal (who died in childbirth with their 14th child). It's considered by many to be the finest example of Moghul architecture in the world; combining building elements of India, Persia, and Islam. It took over 20,000 skilled workers over 20 years to complete the Taj Mahal. It is absolutely beautiful, especially up close in the early sunlight. It's made of white marble that is highly detailed with engraving, filigree work, and inlays of precious stones and metals that glimmer in the sunlight even to this day.

Immediately after touring the Taj Mahal, we drove several kilometers away to the Agra Fort (aka Red Fort).The Fort is a 94 acre walled collection of buildings, some of which pre-date the Taj Mahal. The earliest buildings of the Agra Fort were mentioned in writing from the late 1000s. Many of India's most important Mugal rulers reigned from Agra Fort, the most famous being Akbar beginning in 1558. Akbar's son was Shah Jahan, who built the nearby Taj Mahal. Sadly, at the end of his life, Shah Jahan's son imprisoned Shah Jahan in the Agra Fort for eight years until his death. He reportedly died in a tower of the Fort with a marble balcony which has a view of the Taj Mahal. Portions of the Agra Fort are currently being used as an Indian army headquarters, so they are not accessible to the public. The buildings are primarily made of red sandstone, although Shah Jahan was responsible for the construction of several marble structures with precious stone inlays. The grounds are so extensive, touring the Fort can take quite some time. I found the history and architecture to be very compelling, although the day was so hot and humid that we did not stay very long.

For more information from me regarding my travel and study in India, connect with me on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/alexandra.watson or follow me on Twitter at abcwatson.

India Cultural Highlight: Rajastanhi Fabric Block-Printing

July 11th, 2010: Visit to Textile Factory & Store:
One thing that has struck me on this trip is that the Indians are an ancient and artistic people. For instance, styles of architecture vary by religion from the minarets and domes of the Muslim to the arches and concentricity of the Hindu, to the stupa (domed monuments) of the Buddhist. Architecture varies also by the time period and region in which it was built. All the World Heritage sites of India we have seen, however, share a great attention to detail and advanced design elements (irrigation, sanitation, water cooling systems, etc.). See the following link for a brief overview of Indian architecture: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Architecture_of_India.

Likewise, Indian dress varies widely and expresses the creative artistry of its people. Women's sarees are more varied and colorful in Northern India, where the landscape is at times dry and dull. In Southern India, where the landscape is more colorful, the sarees tend to have less ornamentation and color.

Ever make a potato stamp art project in grade school? The concept is similar to what is done to fabric in parts of India. In the region of Rajastahn, in particular, there is a localized art of fabric block-printing using a variety of vegetable and floral dyes. We visited a textile company in Jaipur to witness the block-printing process. Multiple carved blocks are used (sometimes for a single image, to add detail) and pounded by hand onto cotton fabric. The demonstration we saw was multiple layers of an elephant block print. Once all the block printing is completed on a piece of fabric, it is usually left to dry and "cure" in the sun.....which reacts with the natual dyes used and affects the final color of the piece. Fascinating! I love that this centuries-old art form is still being done today. As you can imagine, even using carved stamp-blocks, no two pieces are exactly alike because they are all hand-applied. This technique is used for everything from scarves and tunics to household items such as bedspreads and pillowcases. The Gujarati region has an equally impressive hand-knotting and tie-dyeing technique that is used to create incredible detail. I purchased a tablecloth with an elephant and floral pattern for our home, from the Rajastahni textile company we visited in Jaipur. Using the tablecloth will remind me of this incredible trip, and of all the wonderful colors and artwork of India!

Final Sample

 

My New Tablecloth

For more information from me regarding my travel and study in India, connect with me on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/alexandra.watson or follow me on Twitter at abcwatson.

More of Jaipur: Sight-seeing and elephant ride!

Sunday July 11th, 2010:

This has been my favorite day in India so far. Breakfast in our beautiful Taj hotel (Jai Mahal Palace), then a day full of sight-seeing and shopping.  We saw several snake charmers at the tourist spots, although it does take the mystique out of it to know that most of the cobra have been de-fanged and the charmer wants your rupees even for taking a photograph! So that, perhaps, has become just a tourist cliche, but it was still fascinating to watch. We took photos of the intricate old-wall gates of Jaipur and of street scenes as we traveled to the renown Amber Palace for our first sight-seeing stop of the day. We also visited an outdoor observatory and the Monkey Temple, plus some shopping venues for jewelry, textiles, and gifts.

The elephant ride up to the top of the Amber Palace was the highlight of the day, by far. I had rode an elephant once before, as a child at the San Diego Wild Animal Park in California. Unfortunately since I was really young at the time I didn't remember it very well. This time, I'll never forget the experience. We rode the elephants in pairs (with our SMU roommate for the trip). It was so much fun! My elephant was determined to be first, so although we were the third to leave the platform we were first to the top! We had some time while we waited for the other riders, so we could pet the elephant and take photos while everyone else arrived. What strong, patient animals!

The intricacy of the design and architecture of all the Heritage Sites we visited just continues to amaze me. I can't believe the intelligence and ingenuity it took to build such incredible structures by hand so many hundreds of years ago! The Amber Palace was extensive, with a big variety of buildings and design motifs. The mirrored Diwan-i-Khas (Hall of Private Audience) is what I am standing in front of in the photo to the left. It is so detailed and intricate, and must have been a spectacular place in which to host guests near the gardens and breezeways.

The outdoor observatory we visited next in Jaipur was constructed hundreds of years ago to track the position of the sun, tell time, and catalog planetary positions for use in horoscopes. We got to walk around and view all the instruments, which had stunning degrees of accuracy (the largest sun dial is accurate to 2 seconds of time!). Again, human ingenuity stuns me when I think of how these instruments were crafted with such precision out of only marble and metal.

Finally, we visited the Monkey Temple. What an odd experience! It's an active temple site, so many Indians come to feed the monkeys that inhabit the property and to also bathe themselves in the nearby pool. They believe the pool is blessed and will cleanse them of their sins. As a tourist, it seemed to be a strange mix of a zoo, a public pool, and religious monument. The monkeys will take food from your hand (or your bag, if you carry it with you) and are quite aggressive about it. Meanwhile, people are walking around near the pool in only their undergarments, and the young men in particular make quite a show of jumping into the water and splashing each other like it's a recreational park (couldn't take photos of that part). All of this is in the setting of ancient buildings and sacred carvings and symbols. Oh, and you can't overlook the ruins and trash, the beggars, and the other stray animals (dogs, cows). What a clash of old/new, sacred/secular, natural/man-made. It was contradictory in so many ways.

We also stopped at a textile store and got to see the unique Rajasthani art of fabric block-printing, but I'll make that process a separate post. What a day!

To see more photos of my time in India, go to http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=67693&id=1493536168&l=6effaaef67 or connect with me on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/alexandra.watson . You can also find me on Twitter as "abcwatson".

The Golden Triangle: Jaipur Stay

July 10th to 12th, 2010: We ventured away from Ahmedabad and the MICA campus for a week of travel, touring, and industry visits in India's Golden Triangle of cities: Jaipur, Agra, and Delhi. First, we flew from Ahmedabad into Jaipur. Of course, I enjoyed some Wahg Bakri tea in the airport before we departed!

The difference from Ahmedabad to Jaipur was striking. Ahmedabad seems to have spung up from chaos. It is a rural city, with one main road (SG Road) and lots of winding paths and congested streets mixed in with shanty houses and farm communities. The Heritage Walk we did in Old Ahmedabad was an assault on all of our senses. There is a rhythm to moving in and out of the traffic of Ahmedabad that is like an urgent dance. One must be both calm and assertive to fit into the flow of things. Many in our group found Ahmedabad to be overwhelming for many reasons: crowds, grime, the poor, pungent smells, oppressive heat, ancient temples and remnants of history in states of such disrepair, the strange mix of beings on the roads (bikes, motorcycles, rickshaw, cars, buses, dogs, cattle, people).

Jaipur, on the other hand, seems much more planned and open. While it contains many of the same elements of India as Ahmedabad, it is less compact and condensed. Streets were wider, roads were better to travel upon, it was a larger city with more sprawl to it, temples and historical sites seemed to be in better repair. It was somehow altogether less assaulting to our senses. Perhaps it also has to do with us having had time to acclimate a little to India, but I think in general we tolerated Jaipur better because the urban city felt more modern and familiar to us. It also helped greatly that when we arrived at our hotel in Jaipur it was like we had come upon a grand oasis. We stayed at the Jai Mahal Palace (a Taj property). I think it must be the single most luxurious hotel in which I've ever stayed. It was breath-taking! Check it out yourself at: Taj Hotel Link: Jai Mahal Palace, Jaipur, India.

We toured a local jewelry polishing company in Jaipur and then did some high-end shopping in their gorgeous jewelry store. Some of the ladies in our group spent hundreds of dollars on beautiful pieces of jewelry. I would have loved to buy a Indian star ruby (aka "the star of India" stone) but unfortunately, that's not in my budget this time around. I settled for some lovely enameled bangle bracelets instead. I got one for myself, and one for each of my daughters. I'm hoping to find some cheaper bracelets for them also for "everyday" wear.  We were also able to tour a marble temple and stop briefly for photos of the Floating Palace (at sunset) before returning to our hotel. Jaipur is so nice, we're not going to want to leave at all!

To see more photos of my time in India, go to http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=67693&id=1493536168&l=6effaaef67 or connect with me on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/alexandra.watson. You can also find me on Twitter as "abcwatson".